Stop-recording action for automatic musical instruments.



M. CLARK. STOP RECORDING ACTION FOR AUTOMATIG MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLIOATION FILED SEPT. 13, 1911. 1,082,500. Patented Dec. 30, 1913. 2 SHEETS-SHEETl.

COLUMBIA PLANOGIA!" c0., WASH NGTON D C M. CLARK. STOP RECORDING ACTION FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913:

APPLICATION FILED $EPT.13, 1911.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

coLuulA WIAPH (IO-,WASHINONN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MELVILLE CLARK, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T0 MELVILLE CLARK PIANO COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

STOP-RECORDING ACTION FOR AUTOMATIC MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, MELVILLE CLARK, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Stop-Recording Actions for Automatic Musical Instruments, of which the following is a specification, reference being had'to the accompanying drawings, forming a part thereof.

The purpose of this invention is to pro vide means for recording the voluntary ac tions of the operator in manipulating the stops or devices of whatever sort provided in an automatic musical instrument for enabling the operator to modify the playing action.

It consists in the elements and features of construction shown and described as i11- dicated in the claims.

In the drawings :--Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of a piano having automatic playing devices provided with this invention. Fig. 2 is a section at the line 2-2 on Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the connection between pneumatically-controlled stop devices and the devices for recording the operation of said stop devices. Fig. 4; is a detail elevation of the primary pneumatic chamber having its wall partly broken away to show the interior.

The drawings show a portion of an upright piano with parts which will be recognized without special mention, having automatic playing mechanism, of which the roll carriage and tracker are shown mounted in a customary position above and back of the manual, 1 being the roll carriage, 2 the note sheet, 3 the music roll, 4: the takeup roll, 5 a conventional representation of the roll-actuating mechanism, which may be of any familiar type. Upon the roll carriage, there is mounted a pneumatic action comprising a primary pneumatic chamber, 6, and mounted upon and connected with it in the customary way motor pneumatics, 7, 9, 11 and 13 at one end, and 8, 10, 12 and 14 at the other end, having their moving walls, respectively, positioned so that fingers extended from them may carry pencils, 15, whose points are advanced against the marginal portions of the note sheet by the collapse of the pneumatics respectively. Said motor pneumatics are controlled by corre- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed. September 13, 1911.

Patented Dec. 30, 1913.

Serial No. 649,191.

spending primary pneumatics, 7, 9, 11, 13 and 8 10 12 and 14, respectively, mounted, as usual, within the primary pneumatic chamber, and having ducts leading to an edge thereof for connection as hereinafter described.

At the manual front, there are represented finger keys or push buttons, A, B, C and D, and A B C and D carrying, respectively, valves, (6, Z), e, (Z, and a 6 c and (Z which control ducts, A B C D and A B C and D which are indicated as leading to pneumatic devices for causing several modifications in playing as follows: A and A to pneumatics for opening and closing, respectively, high-tension bellows throttle valve; B and B to pneumatics for opening and closing, respectively, the lowtension bellows and shutoff valve; C and C to pneumatics, respectively, for adjusting the hammer rest rail inward and outward; D and D to pneumatics, respectively, for depressing and releasing the sus taining pedal. It is not thought necessary to illustrate these various modifying mechanisms, as they may be of any sort comprising operating pneumatics acting for the purposes stated, in any familiar manner. From the primary pneumatics, 7*, 9 11, 13 and 8, 10, 12 and 14 tubes a 6 0 (P, and a 6 c and of", lead respectively to, and make conjunction with, the tubes, A B O and D and A B C and D, anterior to the valves which control said ducts, respectively, so that the opening and closing of said valves simultaneously controls the primary pneumatics to which one set of tubes lead and the tone-modifying devices to which the other set of tubes lead. The result is obviously that when the operator operates any key or stop button for producing any desired modification in the playing, a pencil corresponding to the modifying device thus brought into action is depressed on to the note sheet and produces a longitudinal mark thereon, corresponding in length to the time during which the modifying device involved is kept in action for mod ifying the playing in accordance with its special function. There is therefore produced upon the margin of the note sheet a series of markings accurately recording the manipulation of all the stops or controlling devices by the operator. These markings serve as a pattern from which, subsequently,

note sheets may be out for reproducing automatically the same modifications which the operator has produced at will in producing the markings.

I claim 1. In an automatic musical instrument, in combination with a tracker and a note sheet for traveling thereover to control the playing of the instrument, a pneumatic action comprising motor pneumatics; markers actuated by the motor pneumatics, respectively, mounted at predetermined positions in the width of the note sheet with capacity for advancing their points against and retracting them from the note sheetat its hearing on the tracker; devices for modifying the playing; inanually-operated valves for controlling said modifying devices, and air connections from the pneumatics, respectively, which are controlled by said valves, respectively.

2. In an automatic musical instrun'ient, in combination with pneumatically-operated means for modifying the playing, a tracker and a note sheet mounted for traveling thereover to control the playing; a pneumatic action having a motor pneumatic for each such modifying means; a marker actuated by said motor pneumatic mounted at a pre-determined position in the width of the note sheet for advancing its point against the marginal portion of the note sheet at the bearing of the latter on the tracker; a primary pneumatic which controls such motor pneumatic; a duct from such primary pneumatic, and a duct from the corresponding pneumatically-operated modifying device, and a manually-operable valve which controls both said ducts.

In an automatic musical instrument, in combination with a pneumatically-operated device for modifying the playing and pneumatic means for ope 'ating such modifying devices; a manually-operated valve which controls said pneumatic; a tracker, and a note sheet mounted for traveling over the tracker and controlling the playing of the instrument; a pneumatic action comprising a motor pneuniatic mounted with its moving wall. at a pro-determined position opposite the tracker; a marker carried by such moving wall positioned for advancing its point against the note sheet at a prc-determined longitudinal line thereof and at the bearing of the note sheet on the tracker; a primary pneumatic which controls such motor pneumatic, and a duct leading from said primary pneumatic to the manually-operable valve pertaining to said modifying device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Chicago, Illinois, this 1st day of September, 1911.

MELVILLE CLARK.

lVitnesses LUCY I. Sronu, M. GER'rRUDE ADY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

